The prices for energy, food and consumer goods are rising steadily.
People who live on social welfare feel this particularly.
However, they will not get any more money for the time being.
District
- As of January 1, the standard rates that the federal government pays for its poorest citizens will rise.
But because life in the Munich district is so expensive, the district has always topped this amount up to now.
This time he cannot increase this top-up amount, he would even have to reduce it.
The statistics are to blame.
Several years ago, the district council decided to increase the standard rates out of pocket.
The recipients of social assistance are currently receiving 5.38 percent more than is the norm across the country.
At the highest level it is 455 euros per month, 23 euros more than in the rest of Germany.
The amount of the increase was based on expert opinions
When determining the amount of the top-up amount, the district council relies on the recommendations of an expert opinion.
This was created by the Institute for Empirical Social and Economic Research in Berlin.
When calculating the standard rate, it refers to consumer behavior, the net wage development and the development of consumer prices in Bavaria.
Regional differences are becoming smaller
Last time the institute came to the conclusion that the cost of living in the Munich region was on average 5.38 percent higher than in the rest of Germany.
But the regional differences in Germany are no longer as great as they were before.
In addition, the city of Munich no longer keeps its own price statistics, which were used last time.
In the end, the current report recommends that the standard rates for the district should be 2.91 percent higher than the federal standard rates.
Actually, the welfare recipients should get less
The result: With its current 5.38 percent more, the district is significantly higher.
That means: Actually, the recipients of social assistance would get less, in the worst case eleven euros per month.
But the district politicians do not want to shorten that, which they made clear in the social committee in the district council.
They unanimously voted in favor of the recommendation by District Administrator Christoph Göbel (CSU) to leave the standard rates at the current level in the interests of protection of legitimate expectations.
They should stay that way until the standard rates have been adjusted again or, according to the expert opinion, the voluntary increase should be higher again.
In order to take the price development into account, Göbel suggested requesting a new appraisal earlier than planned.
The final decision is made in the district council.